‘There's more than we expected, some regiments of mercenaries I've never seen before. Yeetatchen, or something – wherever they're from, they fight like daemons. The king's at the main gate – the lowest part of the wall is to the northern side of the gate.'
'Where's Carel?1
'He's fine, he's with the king. I'm commanding the running repairs, but the bulk of the attack so far has been up by the gate. We've been able to contain those few trying to sneak their way in, but it's pretty tight.' He stopped as he suddenly realised what was strange. He looked around. 'How in the names of the Upper Circle did you get into the castle?'
Isak smiled and waved the question away. 'King Emin is a man who likes to have secrets. If you need me, send someone and I'll come with the storm on my heels.'
'And in your hands too, I hope!' he laughed. A shout from the wall attracted his attention and he ran back up the stairs, calling over his shoulder, 'Be safe, my Lord.'
Isak and Mihn ran to the main gate, stopping briefly as a servant appeared with the rest of Siulents. Mihn helped Isak to strap it on as screams and the clash of steel rang out from the left of the main gate. He could see soldiers clustered on the wall, the longest stretch between towers, with a rise of ground outside. As Isak approached, he noticed the changes that Vesna had predicted upon their arrival. The count had got it absolutely right: this was no longer an indefensible pleasure palace, but a place of war.
The air above the walls shuddered as a blazing light burst into life, blinding the defenders momentarily until it snapped out as suddenly as it had appeared. From the nearest tower, fire stabbed out in reply and crashed down on the other side of the wall. Isak heard the thump as it hit and distant screams.
The wall shook once, twice, and Isak felt magic beat against the stone. They were trying to punch a hole in the wall so they could pour men into the palace. The white-eye leapt up the steps, sliding on his helm and shield as he ran. One of the Kingsguard on the wall turned at the sound of metal on stone.
Delight flowered on his face when he saw the silver giant and he called out, 'Lord Isak!'
More faces turned and saw and took up the call. Isak waved acknowledgment, but headed directly for the group of dark figures with King Emin at the centre. The curved edge of Darklight glowed at Emin's back, illuminating his golden armour. Even in the middle of battle, the man looked composed and at ease. His palace had shaken off its delicate image; the king had no need. It made Isak wonder ex-actly what would ever cause that to happen.
This is a fine toy you've brought me, Lord Isak,' Emin called, raising the axe in salute. 'Doranei found you, then?'
Isak nodded his thanks – he had been quite right in thinking Emin would have a number of tunnels for his private use. The path to the public baths had been clear and when they'd arrived, Doranei had stepped out of the shadows, armoured and sword drawn. Some fur-
tive sneaking through deserted streets and a second tunnel brought them inside the palace and once past the welcoming sword-tips of the Kingsguard, a huge stone block had been moved over the trapdoor, just in case Isak wasn't the only one to work out the king's predilection for secret tunnels.
Carel hugged Isak briefly, then turned to Mihn and clapped him on the shoulder. A warning shout erased any thought of conversation as Mihn wordlessly handed Arugin back to the veteran Ghost. There was a clatter of ladders, and through the crenellations Isak could see untidy clumps of soldiers waiting to scale the walls and attack.
One of Emin's men leaned out to aim a crossbow down at them, flinching as an arrow hit the stone beside him then skewed wildly upwards. Isak nudged the man aside, a young watchman wearing ill-fitting armour and an apprehensive expression, and leaned out over the wall.
Holding his shield against arrows and the dying sun, Isak squinted down the ladder. The first man was only a few yards off. Isak took in the scene, then a flurry of arrows prompted him to haste. With a muttered apology to the sword, he used Eolis to cut away one side of the ladder. The enchanted edge sliced through the iron rods bound roughly to the top like a hot knife through butter and the ladder lurched and fell.
A howling war cry pierced the air as Isak pulled himself back to relative safety. Two figures, flailing madly, flew through the air towards the wall and landed safely on the walkway: Isak recognised the distinctive shapes of Fysthrall as the warriors began to strike out with furious purpose.
The king raised Darklight, but before he could move, Coran had rushed from his master's lee. Bellowing like an enraged bull, he swung a huge mace above his head, slamming it square on to the shield of the first man. Sheer animal strength smashed the man off the walkway on to the gravel path below. The second Fysthrall half-turned at the sound of the impact, and his error cost him his life as one of the Farlan guardsmen brutally decapitated him.
A Kingsguard stepped into the space they left, ready to hack away at the ladder, when an arrow flew almost clean through his throat. The impact sent him collapsing backwards, pawing weakly at his neck. Coran ignored the dying man's feeble wails and stepped over to crash his mace down on the head of a mercenary emerging over the wall. A second mercenary right behind was ready; he pushed his colleague's corpse out of the way and stabbed wildly with his spear, trying to drive the white-eye back.
As Coran gave ground, another Fysthrall landed on the walkway. Doranei darted forward and trapped the man's sword between his own axe and sword, then stamped hard into the side of his knee. The king's man jumped back again as Coran swung up the butt of his huge mace and caught the Fysthrall under the chin, knocking him back over the battlements to fall amongst his own troops.
'Bloody mages,' spat Carel. He was unscathed, and looked younger now. He swung Arugin with ease. 'They keep tossing these dark-skinned monsters at us; bloody things don't know when they're dead.'
Isak didn't have time to correct the veteran as more mercenaries rushed up the ladder. They fought with desperation, and their numbers kept increasing. Isak could feel magic billowing on the wind as blood flew and lingering screams haunted every shadow. He ducked a wildly swung axe and ran the man through, pushing him back off Eolis and over the wall. A sword glanced off his cuirass and he lashed out with his shield, feeling the hard edge crunch into teeth and bone.
There was no time to see how anyone else was faring. He caught glimpses of Emin, shining in the firelight, a dark trail following his axe, and he could hear Coran roaring above the clang of steel and the howl and sob of death. Isak followed the white-eye's lead and threw himself at the attackers. Cutting and stabbing with furious abandon, he closed the few yards to where men continued to spill over the walls. His guards, close behind, drove off the mercenaries to give Isak the respite he needed.
Putting a hand on the stone wall Isak steadied himself, opening his senses and drawing magic in. He could feel the bank of ladders set against the wall and the image of a flame appeared in his mind. Stretching out his hand, Isak felt the fire grow there. The flames rose and expanded as the climbing mercenaries shrieked in fear. Leaning forward he dropped the still-expanding fireball over the wall. It engulfed one man, who screamed and threw himself backwards, flailing desperately as he fell to earth, but the unnatural fire was not yet finished. With malevolent purpose the flames licked out, and where they touched, they stayed, until they had crept slowly out to mark every one of the siege ladders.
The climbers, seeing the fate of their fellows, tried to escape, fighting each other to get away. Some fell, the flames already devouring their clothes; others stared futilely, almost mesmerised, at the fire flashing slowly down towards them.